Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 64

[Footnote 15: Parthia(?).]

[Footnote 16: The same name as Belshazzar.]

[Footnote 17: This Agag is very possibly the country of Haman the Agagite, if we must not read Agaz.]

[Footnote 18: Ambanda is perhaps the Median "Kampanda."]

[Footnote 19: We find in the inscriptions of Van, the G.o.d Haldi as G.o.d of the Armenians, which proves more forcibly than ever that the syllabary of the Armenian inscriptions is the same as the a.s.syrian syllabary.]

[Footnote 20: See Isaiah xx. 1.]

[Footnote 21: Meluhhi is not Meroe, but Libya, and especially the Marmarica. The name seems to be the "Milyes" of Herodotus.]

[Footnote 22: "Asdudim" seems to be a Hebraic plural.]

[Footnote 23: Meluhhi. This is the only pa.s.sage where small gaps occur.]

[Footnote 24: This is one of the most important pa.s.sages of the text; the period is the Chaldean eclipse period of 1,805 years, and ended in 712 B.C. Instead of this pa.s.sage, the stele of Larnaca, now in Berlin, has, "from the remotest times, the beginning of a.s.syria, until now." The commencement of the period, 2517 B.C., coincided very nearly with the capture of Babylon by the Medes. This date commences the real history; previous to this time reigned the 86 princes during twelve lunar periods of 1,805, and twelve solar periods of 1,460 years, viz., 39,180 years. The very event may have happened eleven years afterward, 2506 B.C. The Deluge happened, according to the Chaldeans, in 41697 B.C.]

[Footnote 25: This royal name is still found in the Armenian texts of Van.]

[Footnote 26: The inscriptions of this prince are translated in the seventh volume.]

[Footnote 27: Elam. We are now certain of this identification.]

[Footnote 28: The same who occurs in the Ptolemaic canon (721-709).]

[Footnote 29: From 721 to 709 B.C.]

[Footnote 30: 32 m. 91 cm., 39 yds.]

[Footnote 31: 54 m. 85 cm., 65 yds.]

[Footnote 32: 4 m. 94 cm., 17-1/2 ft.]

[Footnote 33: Unexplained.]

[Footnote 34: "Timin," not "cylinder."]

[Footnote 35: Only two years after the commencement of the war.]

[Footnote 36: 12,544. pd. troy 68.]

[Footnote 37: 152,227. pd. troy, 75. A royal silver drachm is nearly 3s., a royal mina 9; the state drachm and mina is the half of it. A silver talent is always very close to 270 sterling.]

[Footnote 38: Sargon speaks of his third "year" and not of his third campaign, in order to mark what he had already accomplished before the year 717.]

[Footnote 39: One hundred and ten English miles.]

[Footnote 40: This is the second pa.s.sage where Sargon alludes to this period ending under his reign.]

[Footnote 41: "Karduniyas."]

[Footnote 42: Or "Dur-Sarkayan." The King pa.s.ses rapidly over some other peculiarities which he inserts in other texts, namely, the measures of the town, and the ceremonies of its edification. The circuit is given as containing 3-1/3 ners (miles) 1 stadium 3 canes 2 spans, or 24,740 spans, and Botta's measurings afford 6,790 metres (7,427 yds.). This statement gives for the span, with a slight correction in the fourth decimal, 27,425 cm. (10.797 ins., and for the cubit 5,485 cm. 21.594 ins.).]

[Transcriber's Note: Above, the author seems to be using the European decimal point ",", in the metric measurements, and the American decimal point in the Imperial measurements, ".".]

[Footnote 43: At this time the palace of Nineveh was still in ruins. It was rebuilt by Sennacherib.]

[Footnote 44: This is my former transcription of the divine name which is now p.r.o.nounced Hea. But I think sincerely that the latter is not better than the former one.]

[Footnote 45: This a.s.similation is not quite certain.]

[Footnote 46: One thousand ten talents 602 cwt. English.]

[Footnote 47: Obscure.]

[Footnote 48: A very difficult pa.s.sage; the name of the G.o.d Nergal does not interfere with the object.]

[Footnote 49: The Hebrew "Astaroth," which signifies "G.o.ddesses." Compare Judges x. 6.]

[Footnote 50: Obscure.]

[Footnote 51: It is not clear what animals are meant.]